We’ve been lucky enough to have some talented poets perform here at Hamline, and our own Poetry Slam team is nationally recognized, but recently HU hosted a rock star in the poetry world. Last Friday Hamline University Poetry Slam (HUPS)students opened for internationally touring poet Lauren Zuniga. Zuniga is a three time national slam finalist and teaching artist, and in 2012 she served as the Activist in Residence for the University of Oklahoma. She’s also been voted the best local author by the Oklahoma Gazette.

In an email interview, Zuniga explained that she had a somewhat unconventional start to her writing career, but it got her hooked all the same.

“I started out as a rapper. I went to my first poetry slam at 18 years old and someone convinced me to slam. I won the slam and got everything in the hat which was $12, two cigarettes and a condom. I decided poetry was obviously my calling,” Zuniga wrote.

Zuniga has an organic outlook on life, and her writing reflects that spirit. When asked about her writing process, Zuniga said that she treats her pieces as living things and goes from there.

“I revise as I go. I think poems are living things. I edit as I perform, as I learn, as I grow.Nothing is finished,” she wrote, and went on to give her views on writer’s block.

“I write about the block. I write to it. I give it permission and ask it questions. Often it’s just my critical mind too wrapped in writing something ‘good.’”

Although some of her poems are often praised (or criticized) for their feminist themes, Zuniga said that she wouldn’t necessarily say that her poems have had an impact on the feminist movement. She just writes about what she feels is important to her.

“I don’t know that I would feel comfortable saying anything I’ve written has impacted feminism. I think we live feminism. I write from a feminist lens because I have to. If anything, I’d like to think I’ve made some folks more comfortable with the F word and hopefully inspired further reading/action,” she wrote.

In addition to increasing feminism awareness, Zuniga’s goals are the same as those of any other artist: she wants her poems to affect people emotionally, to connect to her audience.

“I like for poems to feel useful. I think poems have the ability to reach people in an emotional place that other forms of writing/speaking can’t. That means a lot to me. I hope people leave a show feeling more present in their body and inspired to write & share their stories.”

Zuniga’s two poetry collections, “The Nickel Tour” (Penmanship Books, 2009) and “The Smell of Good Mud” (Write Bloody Publishing, 2012) can be purchased online through Write Bloody Publishing or Amazon. She also has posted several of her performances on YouTube and has information on her website, www.laurenzuniga.com.